Material Exploration: Metalwork
Project Brief
Design and fabricate a hood ornament for a vehicle, real or imagined. This could be for a car, boat, bicycle, motorcycle, spaceship, anything.
Some of the earliest hood ornaments were the figureheads on the prow of a ship. These often had talismanic properties that were believed to protect users from the dangers faced at sea.
Inspiration & Resources
I was interested in using forging as my method of fabrication from the start.
I found inspiration in the organically curvy tentacles of octopi, and some previous metalwork I had seen online.
By researching illustrations and sculptures of tentacles, I found more inspiration that lead me towards ideating a form for my hood ornament.
Ideation & Sketches
When designing, keeping in mind the properties and limitations of metals and metal fabrication techniques. While traditional hood ornaments were typically sculpted and cast, we did not use that process.
Fabrication materials were supplied in a flat state or in straight lengths of bar and tubing.
I chose to focus on using tubing as that would be the easy to manipulate using the forging & hammer technique.
Method of Fabrication
FORGE
Shaping the end of the steel rod by heating it in a fire/furnace and hammering it into a prism shape, and then shaping it into a conical shape, and spiralling it around an anvil.
DRILL PRESS
Drilling various staggered holes up the inner side of the forged rod to prepare for applying pop rivets to create the effect of suction-cups.
POP RIVETS
Using a pop rivet gun, tubular rivets were inserted into drilled holes and clinched by the withdrawal of a central rod.
LATHE
Turning cylindrical steel base on machine to flatten edges, drill a hole in top to insert tentacle rod, and drill another hole in bottom for fastening method - including tapping & screw countersinking.